Springsteen, Bruce

Bruce Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949 at the Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch , New Jersey. ^[1] He was taken home from the hospital in Freehold Borough , where he spent his childhood. He lived on South Street and attended Freehold School . His father, Douglas Frederick Springsteen, had Dutch and Irish roots, and worked mainly as a bus driver, among other professions, although he was mostly unemployed. Springsteen stated that his mother, Adele Ann (nee Zerilli), was the main breadwinner. ^[2] His mother was a secretary of law, had Italian roots ^[3] . His maternal grandfather was born in Vico Equense (a city near Naples ) ^[4] . He has two younger sisters, Virginia and Pamela . Pamela had a small film career, but then she took up photography.

Former school teachers said he was "a loner who wanted nothing more than playing the guitar." He graduated from high school, but felt so embarrassed that he missed his graduation ^[5] . After school, he enrolled at Ocean County College , but, after studying for a short time, threw him ^[6] .

In his teens, Springsteen played on a number of backyard rock bands. One of these teams was The Castiles . By the early 1970s, he had settled in Greenwich Village , New York, where he performed songs with a strong touch of folk rock in the spirit of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison . With uncompromising sincerity, he sought to reflect in his songs the aspirations and sorrows of an ordinary working American.

In January 1973, Springsteen's debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ , was released, followed six months later by The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle . They did not attract significant attention and did not sell well, although after the triumph of the subsequent records they nevertheless became platinum. Moreover, the song Blinded by the Light from Springsteen's first album in 1977 reached the first place on the Billboard Hot 100 , however, performed by Manfred Mann's Earth Band .

Born to Run

In 1974, Springsteen created the E-Street Band , a musical group that was called upon to accompany him on tours of the United States. In August 1975, Springsteen's third album, Born to Run , produced the effect of an exploding bomb, turning the author for some time into the most sought-after character in the American music industry. His photographs flashed on the covers of Time and Newsweek magazines, concerts were gathered by complete stadiums of fans, and critics praised him for finding the courage to revive the original values ​​of rock and roll in the age of hard rock and progressive rock .

Throughout the second half of the 1970s, critics relentlessly sang Springsteen praises, indicating that he had a rampant 1950s rock and roll drive that coexisted with thoughtful Bob Dylan -style lyrics. Although many music lovers were repelled by the hysteria raised around the rocker, it cannot be denied that by the end of the decade a whole line of Springsteen followers had appeared in American music, among which Bob Seeger and John Mellencamp disputed first place. In 1978, Springsteen wrote the song Because the Night for Patti Smith , which became her biggest hit.

Despite growing competition every year, Springsteen released in October 1980 a double album, The River , which contained the song Hungry Heart , which became one of his calling cards. In September 1982, the Nebraska acoustic disc followed, and at the end of the year, guitarist Steve van Zandt announced that he was leaving Springsteen's band.

Born in the USA

In June 1984, Springsteen's next album, Born in the USA , became a phenomenon not only of rock but also of popular music. Seven hits from him were released by singles, and all of them hit the top ten of the American sales chart (this is one of three such cases in history). The album itself became platinum ten times. In the wake of this triumph, Springsteen toured the United States and Europe for two years. Released in November 1986, Live also led the Billboard 200 .

Upon returning from the tour, Springsteen divorced his wife, married the backing vocalist of the E-Street Band , but in November 1989 he dismissed this legendary band. His subsequent albums did not arouse much interest of critics and the public, however, the song Streets of Philadelphia written for the film Philadelphia (1993) received an Academy Award.

Later years

During the 1990s and 2000s, Springsteen put together an impressive collection of Grammy awards, including a figurine for best male rock vocals (2002, the song The Rising ).

In 2008, Springsteen established himself as a politically active performer. During the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States, he actively campaigned for a Democratic candidate, Barack Obama .

In July 2013, British Bailey Walsh's Springsteen and Me documentary, covering the whole life and career of a musician, was released on world cinema screens.

Relationships and Family

Springsteen had a romantic relationship with actress Joyce Heiser, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and model Karen Darwin ^[7] .

In the early 1980s, Springsteen met singer Patti Skelfu ^[8] . In June 1984, at the suggestion of Springsteen, Skelfa joined his Born in the USA Tour on the E Street Band ^[9] . In December 1984, Springsteen met model Julianne Phillips . On May 13, 1985, they married in Lake Oswego , Oregon ^{[10] [11] [12]} . Their relationship, however, was affected by the 11-year age gap and Springsteen's constant travels. His album Tunnel of Love is inspired by a relationship with Phillips. Springsteen and Phillips broke up in the spring of 1988, shortly after which he began a relationship with Patti Skelfa ^[13] . In August 1988, Phillips filed for divorce, which was completed in March 1989 ^{[14] [15]} .

Springsteen and Skelfa got married on June 8, 1991 at their home in Los Angeles. They have three children - Evan James Springsteen (born July 25, 1990), Jessica Ray Springsteen (born December 30, 1991) and Samuel Ryan Springsteen (born January 5, 1994) ^[16] . After the children reached school age, Springsteen and Skelfa moved back to New Jersey in order to raise children away from the public. Evan Springsteen is now a radio host, Jessica is a rider, and Samuel is a firefighter ^[17] .

Political Views and Activism

In the 1980s, Springsteen was engaged in social activities against apartheid in South Africa ^[18] .

Springsteen is a Democrat ^[19] . He supported the candidacy of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in 2008 and 2012, as well as 2016, respectively ^{[20] [21] [22]} . He also spoke at the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009. ^[23]

Throughout his career, Springsteen also actively supports the rights of the LGBT community ^[24] . In 2009, he supported the adoption of the law on the resolution of same-sex marriage in New Jersey ^[25] , and in 2012 appeared in a social advertisement in support of same-sex marriage ^[26] . In April 2016, Springsteen canceled a planned concert in North Carolina in view of the adoption of a “toilet law” restricting transgender people from choosing latrines ^[27] .

Springsteen also spoke out in support of the Women's March , held in 2017 ^[28] .

Studio Albums

Live Albums

• Live 1975–85 (1986)
• In Concert / MTV Plugged (1992)
• Live in New York City (2001)
• Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2006)
• Live in Dublin (2007)
• Springsteen on Broadway (2018)

Headlining

• Born to Run (1974-1977)
• Darkness Tour (1978–1979)
• The River Tour (1980–1981)
• Born in the USA Tour (1984–1985)
• Tunnel of Love Express Tour (1988)
• Bruce Springsteen 1992–1993 World Tour (1992–1993)
• Ghost of Tom Joad Tour (1995–1997)
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour (1999–2000)
• The Rising Tour (2002–2003)
• Devils & Dust Tour (2005)
• Bruce Springsteen with The Seeger Sessions Band Tour (2006)
• Magic Tour (2007–2008)
• Working on a Dream Tour (2009)
• Wrecking Ball World Tour (2012–2013)
• High Hopes Tour (2014)
• The River Tour 2016 (2016–2017)
• Springsteen on Broadway (2017–2018)

Co-headlining

• Human Rights Now! (1988)
• Vote for Change (2004)